MP CM's action aims at proving innocence

The Madhya Pradesh Government’s decision to seek the High Court’s nod for a CBI probe into the Vyapam scam was taken at a closed-door meeting called by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday as two issues weighed upon him heavily.One, the unabated deaths were not only a matter of concern but also since the State Government felt it was in no way related yet was being blamed for it. This notion had to be dispelled at every cost, sources quoted Chouhan as having said. 

Two, he felt the public perception that his dispensation was indulging in an alleged cover-up was unnecessarily growing due to “adverse media reporting” , which was quite contrary to the fact that under his regime every effort was made to unearth the entire scam and arrest the culprits.The meeting ended within minutes and instructions were handed out by the CM to file an application in the High Court to transfer the court-monitored investigation in Vyapam scam to CBI. Chouhan took the BJP leadership into confidence about his move and by evening, the application was lodged in the Madhya Pradesh HC.

The tenor of the application reflected the concerns shared by Chouhan. It said, “The situation arising out of the media reports regarding deaths of persons involved in the Vyapam cases has given rise to public perception amongst a section of the society, however small, that unless investigation in criminal cases and also the alleged causes of death is done by a central agency, real facts would not surface in full public view.”

The application further stated, “The alleged reluctance of State government to hand over the investigation to central agency is creating doubts and suspicions amongst the people. This situation is contrary to public interest and a matter of concern which needs to be remedied.”